White House Picks Top Inauguration Planners

By TODD S. PURDUM

Published: November 14, 1996

WASHINGTON, Nov. 13—
With the election over, the White House got down to organizing the celebration today by naming the leaders of the team that will plan President Clinton's second inauguration and promising to limit individual and corporate contributions for the event to $100 and require broad disclosure of loans and gifts.

At the same time, officials said it was not clear that Mr. Clinton would keep the original goal of naming a new Secretary of State before departing on a trip to Asia at week's end. In fact, the White House spokesman teased the question by saying that Mr. Clinton had told him again today that at least one person whose name had not surfaced publicly remained under consideration.

Instead, a senior White House official suggested tonight that Mr. Clinton might name a replacement for Defense Secretary William J. Perry before choosing a new Secretary of State -- perhaps in the next few days -- as the President tries to form a national security team that would work well together.

''The operative concept is 'team,' '' the official said.

In all, the White House is a place of both bustle and intrigue these days, as aides still exhausted from nonstop political travel struggle to cope with Cabinet and staff reshuffling, prepare Mr. Clinton for a 12-day trip to Hawaii, Australia, the Philippines and Thailand -- and look ahead to his second swearing-in on Jan. 20.

Acknowledging the fallout from reports of questionable contributions to the Democratic Party that dominated the end of the campaign, the White House press secretary, Michael D. McCurry, promised today that the inaugural committee would take particular pains to make public the names of donors. As expected, the committee is to be headed by Terence McAuliffe, who was Mr. Clinton's chief fund-raiser, and Ann Dibble Jordan, a board member of the National Symphony Orchestra and several other organizations and the wife of Vernon E. Jordan, the lawyer and Presidential adviser.

The remark was an implicit acknowledgment that reports of questionable contributions to the Democratic Party in the recent Presidential campaign made disclosure a public-relations imperative.

Mr. McCurry said the Clinton inaugural committee would ''fully disclose any loan arrangements'' it made with individuals, corporations or banks and would limit loans to $100,000 per entity, as it did four years ago.

At that time, the incoming Administration put no limits on contributions, but the White House said today that it received none greater than $5,000 and total contributions of only about $50,000. The bulk of the cost of the various inaugural balls, parties and other celebrations is financed by sales of tickets, television rights and advertising and commemorative items, while the official ceremony itself is paid for by the taxpayers.

In fact, Mr. McCurry said, the President begins this time with a $9 million surplus from the last inauguration, the difference between the $42 million in private money it took in four years ago and the $33 million it spent. That may be enough seed money to avoid the need to take out any loans, he suggested.

Harold M. Ickes, a deputy White House chief of staff, will oversee the inaugural effort, before stepping down from his current post. Mr. Ickes announced his resignation this week after being passed over for the top job in favor of Erskine B. Bowles, his former colleague.

Today, Mr. Clinton sought to assuage the feelings of Mr. Ickes, a friend for 25 years, who was hurt that Mr. Clinton had not discussed his future until after Mr. Bowles's appointment became public last week.

''Without Harold's friendship and his 'round the clock hard work, dedication and commitment, I doubt that I would be anticipating a second inauguration,'' Mr. Clinton said in a written statement announcing the committee.

The President also announced that 15 prominent Democrats would serve as vice-chairmen of the inauguration, including Ronald Burkle, the California supermarket magnate who played host to several large fund-raising events this year; Gov. Lawton Chiles of Florida; Jonathan Tisch, chief executive of Loew's Hotels, Mayor Edward G. Rendell of Philadelphia and Ellen Malcolm, the president of Emily's List, a group that raises money for female Democratic candidates who support abortion rights.

Ellen Miller, executive director of the Center for Responsive Politics, a group that monitors campaign finances and that wrote the White House this week urging it to disclose inaugural contributors, praised Mr. McCurry's announcement.

''In the aftermath of the '96 election, in which a whole bunch of questions have been raised, they had no choice but to do this, and they've taken the right step,'' Ms. Miller said.

She said that four years ago, disclosure of loans was slow and reluctant.

Today Mr. Clinton also named a broad transition committee to oversee the work of staffing a second term. It is led by the departing White House chief of staff Leon E. Panetta, and also includes Mr. Bowles, Mr. Jordan, Mr. Ickes and numerous other Administration officials intended to represent various constituencies, from women to Hispanic-Americans.

''Clearly, excellence is their goal, diversity is their mandate,'' Mr. McCurry said of the group, whose work will supplement that already under way by an inner core of advisers that include Vice President Al Gore, Mr. Panetta, Mr. Bowles and Mr. Jordan. Mr. McCurry said the group would begin meeting each day, probably breaking into subgroups to consider candidates for staff and Cabinet jobs.

Mr. McCurry also confirmed that Energy Secretary Hazel R. O'Leary, under fire for expensive official travel, had submitted her letter of resignation today and that Mr. Clinton had accepted it as expected.

Mr. McCurry said he had asked Mr. Clinton for permission to tell reporters that at least one of the President's own potential choices for Secretary of State had not yet been mentioned in news accounts, and that Mr. Clinton gave him permission to do so.